Israel today accused an Irish unit of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of aiding and abetting a terrorist attack on Manera Kibbutz in northern Israel and later blocking an Israeli force sent into south Lebanon in pursuit of the terrorists. An army spokesman confirmed that an Israeli force was combing the area of Shaqra village where the terrorists were believed to have taken shelter.
Unconfirmed reports from foreign sources said the Israeli force was augmented by anywhere from 40 to 250 tanks, depending upon the source. It was the first major incursion by Israeli troops into south. Lebanon since Israel withdrew its army from that region a year ago. The force was prevented from continuing its search operation by the Irish troops and withdrew, the army spokesman said.
According to the spokesman, the events began this morning after a band of about four Arab terrorists crossed UNIFIL-held territory and remained concealed in a sector patrolled by the Irish unit. At about 4 a.m. local time they reached the border fence and opened fire with mortars and automatic weapons on Manera.
The first salvos alerted an Israeli patrol which exchanged fire with the terrorists, wounding one who was captured. The others fled back into Lebanese territory. An Israeli patrol crossed into Lebanon on a search operation that centered on the area between Shaqra village and the border. Before the terrorists could be found, the UNIFIL Irish troops appeared and refused to grant the Israeli forces permission to continue their operation.
Questioning of the captured terrorists indicated that their mission was to murder civilians in Manera, Israeli sources said. The fire exchange lasted nearly an hour. No Israeli casualties were reported.
Israel charged today that UNIFIL is not carrying out its mission. It permitted terrorists to cross its territory eastward from Tyre, which is a terrorist-controlled enclave, and made no attempt to apprehend them although the sounds of the battle could be heard for miles.
“It is inconceivable that terrorists, failing in their mission, should find shelter across the border,” the Israeli, military spokesman said. UNIFIL headquarters announced this afternoon that an Israeli force had been acting in the Shaqra village area east of Tebnin but did not mention that terrorists were active in the same area. “All they did was to prevent the Israelis from locating and apprehending the terrorists,” the spokesman said.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
